The present invention relates to validators and in particular, relates to validators having a removable flash memory module.
A host of different types of validators receive and process banknotes to determine the authenticity thereof. The banknotes are moved past sensors which evaluate different properties of the banknotes and the sensed properties of the banknotes are compared relative to a predetermined standard maintained in memory of a central processing unit of the validator. Based on this comparison a prediction as to the authenticity of the banknote is made.
The cost of a validator typically increases as the number of properties being sensed increases and the degree of precision increases. A compromise is normally made between the degree of accuracy a validator must meet and the percentage of bills being rejected on average. As the degree of accuracy increases, the variation between the properties of the sensed bill and the standard decreases. This typically results in some authentic bills being rejected by the validator. For example, an authentic bill may be somewhat worn and the validator may reject it.
A further factor is the introduction of new banknotes by different governments. To a certain extent this practice is to reduce and deter fraudulent activities. Unfortunately this renders existing validators obsolete or only suitable for processing some banknotes. Under these circumstances, it is desirable to replace the software used by the central processing unit in determining whether bills are authentic.
To alter the software used by a central processing unit of a validator, a skilled technician downloads new software to the central processing unit typically from a portable computer. This process is both expensive and time consuming. It would be desirable to provide a more practical approach for updating validators while still providing a high level of security against fraudulent activities.